Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Menzies for this motion. I am disappointed that in his speech he didn't touch on how this is just another mess that his government—his government—created and that the Albanese government is tasked with cleaning up after that floundering wasted decade. The member for Menzies talked about a vehicle to drive delivery but he didn't mention that the vehicle the Albanese government saw has four flat tyres, no petrol and is unregistered.

Australians were left vulnerable and unprepared for the cybersecurity threats and attacks that we saw last year. That's the reality. That conga line of the Abbott-Morrison-Turnbull governments didn't get it about digital identity and, as a result, about half of the population cannot obtain high levels of identity proofing. The Albanese government—we accept what we were handed—will get on with fixing this. We'll work with the states and territories to allow the use of driver's licences and proof-of-age cards to allow those left out until now to obtain the high level of proof.

I now wish to point out a few inaccuracies in the member for Menzies' motion. For starters, there has been more than one meeting of the data and digital ministers. One was held a month ago in an obscure city called Melbourne, for the benefit for the member of Menzies. I believe that is in Victoria. In attendance were ministers Shorten and Gallagher along with the relevant ministers from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory. At that meeting, the ministers agreed to actively explore ways to support the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-2032. Ministers will work with the women's safety ministers to identify opportunities to improve data sharing and advance a whole-of-society solution to end gender based violence in one generation.

Again, I point out that the Albanese government believes in working with the states to deliver practical outcomes for Australians. We're not one for hollow photo ops and symbolic stunts. Real change is actually our motto. We'll leave the Liberals and Nationals to fight it out with the Greens, One Nation, and I include the Teals obviously—for those showy stunts!

The next issue I have with this motion is its lauding of the ambitiously titled Trusted Digital Identity Framework. The framework was introduced seven years ago and there is still only the one identity provider. The audit pointed out that the situation is still poor for so many Australians, hardly the glowing endorsement the member for Menzies thinks it is. Currently, many Australians are excluded from setting up a digital identity. Almost half of the citizens of this land don't hold an Australian passport and cannot get a strong digital identity. People without identity documents, such as the 200,000 First Nations people without a birth certificate, cannot set up a standard digital identity. Even more people cannot use it if their identity documents do not match, nor can people who do not have their own mobile device. I'm not sure if the member sees the irony in this, applauding a scheme which fails to assist almost half of the population.

Lastly, the motion calls on the government to urgently legislate on a national identity framework. Wow, they're really reaching peak irony levels here. No wonder we need to act on this, because those opposite failed to do it when in government for that last wasted, wandering decade. Yet the member for Menzies has the gall to complain about a lack of action when inaction was actually the raison d'etre for the conga line of Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison governments.

The Albanese government will work with the states and territories and get on with the job of progressing to a modern identification system that will assist the vast majority of Australians. That's what this government is all about: getting the jobs done, cleaning up the mess left by those in the previous government.

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